


Reflections Over a Mug of Ale at the Green Dragon

by KeybladeDetweiler



Series: 200 Theme Challenge [7]
Category: The Lord of the Rings - All Media Types
Genre: Canon - Book & Movie Combination, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-07-11
Updated: 2016-07-11
Packaged: 2018-07-22 20:33:29
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 467
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7453038
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KeybladeDetweiler/pseuds/KeybladeDetweiler
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Merry takes Frodo out for a drink at the Green Dragon, and does some much-needed thinking about his dear cousin while they're there.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Reflections Over a Mug of Ale at the Green Dragon

**Author's Note:**

> For theme #193 of the challenge, Sharing a Drink.

Late one evening, at the Green Dragon, Meriadoc Brandybuck sat at a table, across from his cousin Frodo Baggins. Both of them held a mug of ale in their hands. While not much had been spoken between the two of them since they had arrived and ordered their drinks, they were still enjoying each other’s company; they always loved to see each other, and were close enough to one another that words weren’t always necessary.

It had been almost a month since Bilbo’s departure from Bag End, and the Shire as a whole. Merry felt as though he hadn’t seen Frodo much at all since his beloved uncle had left him; when he did see Frodo, it was always at Bag End for tea or supper, or when he would come over for a quick visit. He scarcely saw him anywhere else, and Frodo rarely visited Brandy Hall these days. He knew very well that Frodo never went out much, if he could help it. He preferred to be alone, more often than not, and while Merry respected that, he still knew that even the most introverted of hobbits, like his dear cousin, needed to leave their hobbit-holes once in a while.

Merry glanced at Frodo for a brief moment, noticing the rather wistful expression on his gentle face. He still missed Bilbo very much…that was for certain. But something else had to be on his mind, other than his uncle.

Merry had heard rumors about Frodo, ever since Bilbo had left…people were saying that he was planning on leaving the Shire as well, perhaps to follow after his uncle. He didn’t want to believe that these rumors were true; after all, they were coming from the same people who used to make up silly rumors about Bilbo’s “madness”. But he still had a small desire to ask Frodo if he really was planning on leaving. Just to be sure.

Frodo took a sip of his ale. Merry did so as well.

Merry considered asking Frodo about the whole thing right then and there. It would satisfy his desire for an answer, and it would also quell the rumors, since the many of the hobbits spreading them were sitting in that very inn, and would hear the truth directly from Frodo himself. But at the same time, he felt that if Frodo was planning on leaving soon, he would have told him about it by now. Frodo trusted him enough to tell him things as important as that, right? Of course he did; Merry didn’t doubt that at all.

If Frodo really was leaving, Merry knew he would find out about it, all in good time. For now, he was content to just sit with his cousin in the inn, and share a good drink.


End file.
